Dawn Meredith - Author

Big news on the DISNEY front. Star Wars' owner and creator George Lucas, of Lucasfilms has just signed a deal with Disney for them to take over the franchise and lead it into the future. Here's an interview with George Lucas: interview Says Disney: "The last Star Wars movie release was 2005's Revenge of the Sith – and we believe there's substantial pent up demand. In 2015, we're planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the "Disney-Lucasfilm" brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 – and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years. We're very happy that George Lucas will be creative consultant on our new Star Wars films and that Kathleen Kennedy, the current Co-Chair of Lucasfilm, will executive produce." Disney also own Pixar and Marvel, so the the future of some of our most loved characters and stories lies in their hands. Not so great for compe...

It's  been a few weeks since I posted anything on my favourite subject - ROBOTS! Here's a selection of videos. Enjoy! world's top 3 robots  A laptop which transforms into a fighter plane! laptop transformer the Army's cheetah robot leonardo gremlin robot cheers, Dawn

photo (c) Dawn Meredith Hi guys! They are finally here - your fabulous stories! click on this link:  Woody's Friends - stories written by kids If you'd like to send me some more to display here, email them to dawnmeredith1@gmail.com cheers, Dawn

photo (c) Dawn Meredith If you're married to a writer, living with a writer or related to one you may well have asked this question at regular intervals, especially when the writer in question is in a hole, that black night of indeterminate length we call a crisis of confidence. I believe true writers write because they can't not do it. It's a compulsion. A weird one, I know, seeing as it can lead to misery and angst, but I tell you non-writers this, when your work is accepted, it sounds pathetic to say it, but you feel like you are accepted, that what you burned to say to the world is not only being heard, but being valued by someone. Let's take a peek inside the writer's head for a moment. Writers are observers. We process every tiny little thing that goes on around us. We're worried we'll miss something important. (That's why there's so little room for other more mundane things. Or am I the only person who forgets to buy milk?) We constantl...

'The Ghost at the Point' is a  beautifully written mystery with a nostalgic flavour, being set 1931. Dorrie lives on an island with her grandfather whom she calls 'Gah'. Along with her cat, Poppy and horse Samson, Dorrie loves living on the wild, wind swept island, away from the town and prying eyes. Since her parents died, Dorrie has lived with her grandfather, despite Aunt Gertrude's attempts to 'civilise' them both. But one day a strange couple, the Crickles, visit the local shops, asking questions about 'Dear Gertrude's' house and it turns out they are looking for the treasure they are certain is buried near the family home. No one likes the look of this couple. Around this time Dorrie becomes aware of a figure, hanging around in the shadows. Is it the ghost Aunt Getrude used to talk about? Is it a malicious presence that means them harm? Other strange things start to happen. Scary things. And Dorrie is forced to make a decision. Is she goi...

You know, my friends often shake their heads and smile with the faintest hint of fear (for my sanity perhaps?) when I describe some of the stories rattling around in my skull! But as other writers know, ideas pop in all the time and we don't, and perhaps shouldn't, worry too much about their validity. Who knows what the unconscious is trying to say to us, the connections it makes as we experience our day? And its all fodder for stories, grist for the mill. I love it! cheers, Dawn

Once again I am honoured to be invited and blown away by the sheer size of Bookfeast . Well done, Michael Fraser! Had a blast with  my 'host' school and they produced some awesome stories for my little writing competition, to win a book pack. Honoured guests included Andy Griffiths, Deb Abela, Brian Heffernan, John Flanagan and Richard Newsome with Master of ceremonies, Duncan Ball. A fun day was had by all! cheers, Dawn PS Yes, kids, your stories will be put up here soon! I promise!

I just submitted a 100,000 word YA novel manuscript and even though I usually get worried about these things and feel a little intimidated by the process, it was actually quite good! I took the time to re-write a synopsis. Several versions. I wanted to get it right, make a good first impression. I wrote a killer query letter. I pulled the FIRST 1000 words, not a chapter I thought was best, after all, the first chapter has to be of the highest, most polished quality you can make it.  I have learned a couple of things in my years as a writer which I thought might be helpful to someone else out there who is submitting their work. So here they are: In your query letter, be yourself. By that I mean be quirky, interesting, humorous, honest. You want the editor to connect with you, just as you want the readers to connect with your characters. I wrote this in my query letter: " I'll admit, parts of this book are brutal. I surprised even myself. But to tell it properly I had to ...